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A good magazine to buy occasionally but not one I would subscribe to!

Firstly, the cover of the magazine is pretty weak and flimsy. Magazines of higher quality have covers that bend and rip less easily whereas the covers of Amateur Photographer easily bend, rip and look dog-eared. The pages within are also of a similar low quality compared to other magazines. There is a reasonable degree of reader interaction encouraged, with a poll, letters page and places where reader images can be published and appraised by the magazine. The news section often brings up issues photographers are having surrounding law and the magazine rightly champions the rights of photographers to take their photos. Their tutorial segments are relatively clear and useful and provide good pictorial examples. The image appraisal segment is relatively good however the appraisal is done by only one person, the editor Damien Demolder, which means that it is quite biased and subjective to the views of one person. This section would benefit from having three photographers appraising images. I do however have one major bug bear with the magazine: The sheer volume of advertising! It seems like almost all of the second half of the magazine is advertising then there is even more throughout! I would rather pay slightly more per issue to get less advertising personally!

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Can be a bit intimidating, but packed with worthwhile information nevertheless

I always feel just a little out of place when reading Amateur Photographer, like an interloper into the arcane and secret world of "proper" photography. After all, this is a publication where the only compact cameras reviewed tend to be hugely expensive (by my standards!) all-singing, all-dancing models from the very top end of manufacturers' compact ranges: indeed, this very week the magazine is testing a Leica compact costing well into four figures - although to give the publication its dues, the cover strapline is "Can a compact be worth £1,400?" (Without giving too much away, the answer is "not really".)

Being the sort of person who feels that £140 is a lot of money to pay for a camera, never mind ten times that much, I tend to read AP's reviews with a slight feeling of detachment. To be honest, some of the kit reviewed seems to be more aimed at semi-professional photographers than the true enthusiastic amateur, which does seem a little at odds with the magazine's title. I wonder whether they might consider braving the inevitable howls of rage from the purists among their readership and giving just a little space in each issue to lower-end compacts (or even - whisper it - phone cameras) of the sort that most people are likely to be able to afford without a mortgage.

There's nothing at all wrong with the *writing* in the existing reviews, and indeed it is very welcome that unlike many publications AP still seems to see the merit in longer, in-depth pieces rather than trying to cater for the ten-second attention span or even just giving up and putting "see web for more details", something which is a fat lot of good if you're just leafing idly through an issue in the garden and have no computer on hand. AP does have the odd quirk in its reviews - woe betide anyone who confuses "pixels" and "dots" when it comes to LCD screens - but usually there's nothing too abstruse to trip you up.

As well as the reviews (of books and DVDs as well as actual camera equipment) AP also contains a lot of material on photographic technique. The "AP appraisal" feature, in which brave souls submit their shots and have them ruthlessly torn apart in print (I exaggerate a little here; the assessment is usually quite gentle) is particularly handy for its side-by-side comparison with a shot as submitted and the same shot as it would have been edited by Damien Demolder, the editor of AP itself. Each issue normally also contains a detailed and generally well worth reading feature concentrating on one particular aspect of photographic technique; this week it is on how to photograph reflections.

For anybody who hasn't been near a copy of AP for years, the contrast with the magazine of a couple of decades ago is stark, and evident not only in the advances in printing technology. In the 1980s this was, like most camera magazines of the era, bordering on being a top-shelf publication, with a remarkably large number of its features (and, even more so, adverts) finding it necessary to include pictures of barely-dressed female models to illustrate their points about how to repair old tripod legs! This is a distant memory now - after all anyone after that sort of thing can easily find it on the internet - and the emphasis has refreshingly gone back to where it should be: on photography and photographers themselves.

AP likes to portray itself as standing up for the rights of photographers in a world which seems to be becoming increasingly suspicious and paranoid of anyone wielding a camera. To that end it runs regular "Rights Watch" pieces in the news pages, in which are featured a frankly quite depressing litany of complaints about police and PCSO ignorance of the law, unfair use of stop and search powers, and the disconnect between pervasive CCTV - which never asks permission - and the pernicious idea that any man with a camera within eighteen miles of a playground or school (even a closed one, in some cases!) is probably a voyeuristic pervert at best and a potential abuser at worst. This rights campaign is very important, and though I would like to see it given a bit more prominence at times, AP should be congratulated for persisting with it.

Add to this the regular retrospectives of a particular photographer's work, an opinionated column from Andy Rouse (the wildlife photographer, not the sometime British Touring Car champion!), a newish and valuable "Insider Knowledge" bit on less obvious locations to take photos, and Roger Hicks' rather iconoclastic but nevertheless often very entertaining back-page musing/rant, and I think that the cover price of just £2.50 is very good value indeed. Despite my aforementioned reservations about the strong bias shown towards expensive equipment in its reviews, I do believe that there is still more than enough of interest in the average issue of Amateur Photographer to make it well worth the modest outlay.

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Make sure you know what you're buying.

I first bought AP a couple of years ago, when my camera was a little nikon coolpix 2000 or something. I soo nrealised that whilst it's name is 'Amateur photographer' it should really be 'Very proffesional Amateur photographer'. In other words, my little Coolpix was too simple for it. Now I have my first DSLR, I have started reading again, and now find it much more useful and orientated towards me more.

It does not solely focus on technique, but all around the photography world, from Location tips, to sharing your own photos.

At £2.15 a week, it leaves a bit to be desired for on the value front, because the 20-30 pages at the front are about 4/5 adverts, and the lst 1/3 of the magazine is 100% adverts.

Whilst it does seem a bit elitist at first, it does offer a lot of insight, and has helped me improve my photography skills to no end

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An enlightening and comprehensive read

Amateur Photographer Magazine- Light,Cmaera,Click...............---------------------------------------------------------------------------I used to subscribe this magazine for a year long when I was naïve to photography but having said that it does not mean that I loath purchasing this now a days.

I still pick them time and again just to keep myself abreast about the latest.So what is there for you ?Loads of content and information in fact if you are just a starter in the vast world of photography.

The magazine has changed a lot in terms of its glossy cover since my initial days but it still has the enriching and enlightening contents. 'News' is a frequent section which will keep you updated about about latest from the world of photography which typically covers the latest launches of renowned brand like Canon,Sony,Nikon etc.

The magazine does cover details of camera configuration.lenses more importantly keeping in view that the reader is novice in this field. Most of the issues this magazine covers an expert outlook for few products or features and this is equally educative.

I find special offers and prize draws published in this magazine very frequently and it is always exciting .I tried out in few competitions but did not win anything but let me tell you my experience was really amazing as I could discover few of my true potential.

The buyer's guide section in this magazine provides you best prices and availability.The affluence of ideas, benefits and loopholes of products, learning of usage has really made this magazine a one stop read for everyone. The price is also reasonable and you get a bulk discount on subscription.

Of course it is worth mentioning that expert photographers might find few concepts and tricks explained featuring in this magazine bit passé. Over the time I feel it has been bit favourable towards few reputed names in contemporary world but one has to use his rationality before purchasing. Do bear in mind that this is NOT a step to step guide on how to be a master in photography.

Overall I will advocate this magazine for newcomers to the world of photography.Experienced blokes can always pick few issues after glancing through the cover page content.

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looks good

i've just bought this magazine for the first time today. I've only really recently got into cameras and stuff, and whilst i've read a few books this was the first time i've bthought a magazine.

i chose this one, because as a weekly magazine it is cheaper than the mounthly ones (although not if you buy every issue), but at £2.30 it didn't seem like too much money to waste, and as the current issue comes with a free mini flexipod it was very good value for money.

having flicked through the magazine there are alot of adverts. now whilst i like adverts to look at companies i perhaps am not aware of, there seemed like an awful lot. However, in between the adverts there are some more interesting features. The current issue has a dSLR buying guide which is interesting for me as its something to look into as well as advice on improving photos.

i need to see a few more to judge, but it seems ok!

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Amateur Photographer is published every week and is the longest running photography magazine in the world. It would have to be accepted that photography as a hobby has passed its peak but there are still many thousands of enthusiasts and there is a market for cameras and associated products which is still worth £500m per year.

For the vast majority of people photography is too grand a title for what they do. For most people the mere recording of an image is sufficient. It provides a reminder of a place, a moment in time or an occasion. Equipment for most people is often bought for that basic functionality. There are however a significant minority for whom the content of the image is far less important than the composition and execution of achieving the image. Photography for these people is not just taking snaps but of taking photographs.Amateur Photographer has had to move forward with the times now and this is reflected in the fact that now all images go through a chemical process to be developed but now many are likely to be produced digitally and printed through the use of a modern ink-jet printer.

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Amateur Photographer is the world's oldest consumer weekly photographic magazine, first hitting the newsstands on October 10 1884. Since then, AP (as it is affectionately known to its readers) has been the bible for both amateur and professional photo-enthusiasts around the world. It has helped generations of photographers to improve their skills.